Callipygian
Avery Brewing Company

 

12oz bottle dated 4/25/16. Poured into a snifter.

A: Midnight black. Tight tan head holds at a finger for a bit, but eventually settles into a thin slip. Wispy lacing.

S: Bourbon barrel front and center. Corny sweet booze, pretty oaky, whiffs of shaved coconut. Bit of sherry-like oxidation. Waves of intermingling vanilla bean and rich, fatty cocoa nibs. Chocolate aromas gain some depth with more fudgey and brownie batter nuance. Coffee is pretty much long gone. Gentle wafts of smoke. Subtle black cherry darkfruit.

T: Rich and Chocolatey right on the attack. Fudge sauce, brownie batter, cocoa nibs. Vanilla extract in a big way. Malted milk balls. Smoke and hollow bitterness where the coffee used to be. A bit acrid and burnt. A good amount of sherry/cardboard oxidation. Black cherry and cassis. Big pull of boozy bourbon stiffness, lots of oak, and some caramel chocolate chews. Long oaky and boozy bourbon finish.

M: Huge and rich. Thick, unctuous, and chewy body. Gentle carbonation brings a bit of a tingle and adds a little lift so the weight isn’t overbearing. Stiff bourbon warmth and some oak astringency mitigate the sweetness and cut the texture a bit.

O: I simply sat on this one for too long. As it stands it is still an enjoyable drink, but the lack of coffee and the oxidation detract from the overall experience. Shoulda cracked this guy a couple of years ago. Tough to tell with these 17% Avery beasts. Some will go forever. This one did not.

I hate it that Avery brews these one and done beer's. This was amazing. Come on Avery, let's do it again!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2.5 years old, thanks Jason, finally getting around. A gem of chocolate, bourbon, spice. Meets expectations.

 

 

12 ounce bottle, bottled on APR 25 2016. Served in a snifter, the beer pours dark brown/black with about an inch tan head. Head retention is good and there's a decent amount of lacing. I like the aroma a lot, the brew smells like bourbon, vanilla, cocoa, coffee, brown sugar, molasses and some roasted malt. Taste is similar to the aroma, with bourbon, vanilla, brown sugar, cocoa, toffee, oak, coffee and some dark fruit noticeable too. It's a mostly sweet tasting brew. Still a little boozy, but not as much as I thought it would be for being 17.4% ABV. Mouthfeel/body is full, it's creamy and coating with a moderate amount of carbonation. I thought this was a pretty good imperial stout overall, glad I picked this one up! $11.99 a bottle.

 

 

12 ounce bottle into a snifter. Bottled 4/25/16, had 5/10/18.

Pours a dark cola color, somewhat opaque, with a half inch quickly dissipating head and some soapy lacing. Aromas of bourbon, chocolate, vanilla, oak, toffee, cocoa, brown sugar, molasses, char, malt, some coffee, light figs. Smells great. And it tastes great, too- bourbon, lots of chocolate, vanilla, caramel, oak, malt, some molasses, light cocoa and coffee. A fair amount of alcohol when warm, a touch sweet, a light bitterness on the finish. Smooth for the crazy ABV, a good medium to full body, appropriately carbonated.

What a great beer, so much depth of flavors and aromas. All the add ins show well, but the chocolate is the headliner- so expressive in both the aroma and flavor. The bourbon barrels are really the difference maker, though. Just terrific. Wish I knew whose barrels they used.

 

look: deep dark like a stout ought to be. Some ruby highlights when held to light, otherwise not much light getting through this monster.
smell: vanilla bourbon mocha fudge! Rich, decadent goodness.
taste: Ditto. All the flavors in the nose. Dangerously easy drinker.

 

 

12oz bottle, dated 4/25/16, 17.4% ABV. Appears brownish black with a smaller sized khaki head. Smells of vanilla, cocoa, whiskey, oak, roasted malt, oxidization, dark fruit, earthy hops, and licorice. The taste follows with cocoa, vanilla, whiskey, oak, oxidation, dark fruit, roasted malt, earthy hops, and licorice. Medium bitterness, dryness, and tartness with some light sweetness. The flavor profile has mellowed some but the alcohol is still very present. Better after it warmed up. Average body and carbonation for the style. Overall, even though its past its prime it still has a complex cocoa, vanilla, barrel, and bitter/tart profile.

 

A: Black, dark brown that lets some light through around edges, thin head around edge
S: Vanilla, milk chocolate, bourbon, fruity coffee, light oxidation, caramel, cacoa nibs, light roast, marshmallow, dark fruit, maple
T: Vanilla, bourbon, marshmallow, milk chocolate, fruity and bitter coffee nicely integrated, sweet, caramel, dark chocolate, alcohol, very rich
M: Thick and creamy with nice carbonation
O: This is a big beer which has held up very well with about 2 years. The adjuncts are all still present with the vanilla at the forefront. Occasionally the 17% shows but many sips drink well under that abv. These big abv beers do seem to have great complexity in both aroma and taste. Vanilla is the star initially but then ducks back to let the other several flavors jump out

So so black with almost no head, the briefest of brown foam formed. No lacing, the beer is so heavy it sticks to the glass rather like wine. Smells like chocolate and vanilla, like someone added chocolate sauce to the beer but without overwhelming the beer itself. Tastes like chocolate milk, hints of vanilla, hints of coffee, not a lot of oak, bourbon is subdued. The mouthfeel is thick and creamy but not cloying or sticky. The mouthfeel is the only real complaint, the high ABV makes it a bit to hot even after a year in the cellar. Overall its fantastic, the kind of big stout worth drinking.

 

 

Pours a two finger light brown head that fades slowly leaving a good lace. Black color, no highlights. Good carbonation and medium bodied. Bourbon, vanilla and coffee nose and flavor follows, bourbon, oak, coffee, hops are hidden. Very high ABV, 17.4%, is noticeable but not overpowering. Expensive at $14.95 for a 12oz bottle, bottled 4/25/2016 from Colonial Spirits Acton, Ma.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vary dark appearance with little tan head. Very strong vanilla and chocolate aroma. Nice vanilla and chocolate taste with a slight Bourbon without any alcohol aftertaste.